A New York chef, Carolyn, temporarily returns home to small town Montana to figure out how to juggle her new responsibility of caring for her niece and a rambunctious dog. Carolyn hadn’t counted on the additional complication of a lingering attraction to Matthew, now a veterinarian, and the high school boyfriend Carolyn left behind for life in the big city.

I liked Carolyn and Matthew together, they’re nice enough, but I didn’t love them together, for me, there wasn’t quite the level of sparks flying that I would have preferred. It didn’t help that Matthew, while a good, kind man, doesn’t exhibit much of a personality beyond being good and kind, his story mostly consists of worrying over whether or not Carolyn will stay in town. With Matthew somewhat underdeveloped, it gave him a dime a dozen quality that didn’t have me feeling like it was all that urgent for Carolyn to lock down a relationship with him.

For me, the urgency of the story, the high stakes, were much more present in Carolyn and little Emma’s story. As much as I love romance, I felt like I may have enjoyed this more had it ignored romance in favor of more scenes of Carolyn attempting to reconcile sudden motherhood with a demanding career and learning how to connect with a grieving child when Carolyn doesn’t feel like she’s a particularly maternal person. Those were the moments here that seemed more genuine and emotional than anything the romantic relationship had to offer. I probably would have been more engaged by this one had the focus been on Carolyn trying to give it a go as a single mom in the New York restaurant scene with no guy in the picture. ( )

ARC Review: Teaspoon of Trouble (Bachelor Bake -Off) by Shirley Jump

I have been reading Shirley Jump novels for years and have yet to figure out how she does it. She waves her magic wand and takes a sweet story and turns it into a deeply moving life lesson. So it's only fitting that Teaspoon of Trouble supplies light hearted comedy and realistic situations. Somehow, she manages to tackle a lot of story in a small amount of time. The importance of family, dealing with grief, facing fears, taking on some heavy hitting responsibilities all while staying true to yourself, falling in love and following your dreams. That was a mouthful, but she delivers it all in a calm, entertaining and thought provoking way. Carolyn and Matt may seem too good to be true but they make for a fun combination. ( )

Carolyn Henderson is a career-driven chef, focused on achieving her dreams with no desire to settle down and have a family. When her sister and brother-in-law die in a car crash, she is stunned to discover that her sister made her guardian to her 4-year-old niece, Emma. Returning to Marietta so that she can figure out her future she runs into her old flame and current town vet, Matthew West. He is the embodiment of what she left behind when she moved to New York all those years ago; home, family, the one person who you belong to and who belongs to you.

When behavioral issues with her niece's dog arise she cuts Matthew a deal he can not refuse. Train the dog in exchange for baking lessons to help him win the Bachelor Bake-off. For Matthew, Carolyn is the one that got away. Worse still he let her go so that she could live her dream. But now he realizes that he cannot make the same decision again. And Carolyn is slowly discovering the reason why her sister chose her to raise Emma.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from the Publisher via NetGalley for voluntary review consideration. ( )

Sweet, Heartwarming, and Fun, A Teaspoon of Trouble was an enjoyable read. ( )

Fun book to read and romantic after sharing their help and love the ending - wish there was more to it.... ( )